Clip-On Pill Holder

ABSTRACT

A clip-on pill holder provides quick and easy access to potentially life-saving medication. Medication is contained by a pill canister and a lid. A plurality of ridges on the lid provide grip for facilitating removal of the lid. A spring clip connected to the pill canister allows attachment to a belt, pocket or other location on an individual&#39;s person for convenient carrying.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/805,589 filed on Mar. 27, 2013.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a pill holder. More specifically, the present invention is a pill holder that can be easily secured by a clip to a belt or pocketbook.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A pill holder is a special container for storing scheduled doses of one's medications. Many times these pill holders are cumbersome and are difficult access quickly. If an individual has a heart condition or any other life threatening condition it is very important for the individual to be able to quickly access his/her medication. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pill holder that is easily secured by a clip to a belt or pocketbook which can be quickly accessed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevated perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention is to be described in detail and is provided in a manner that establishes a thorough understanding of the present invention. There may be aspects of the present invention that may be practiced without the implementation of some features as they are described. It should be understood that some details have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure focus of the invention.

The present invention is a container for one or more pills, depending on the size of the pills, that can be easily secured to a belt, pocket, pocketbook, or another location on a user's person so that the user may quickly and easily access their medication on short notice at any time. Individuals with heart conditions, for example, may have a need to take a nitroglycerin or aspirin pill on short notice in case of a heart attack or other life threatening condition.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, in general, the present invention comprises a pill canister 1, a lid 2, and a spring clip 3. The pill canister 1 is the component of the present invention that holds the pill. The lid 2 encloses the pill so that the pill cannot accidentally fall out of the pill canister 1, and the spring clip 3 allows the present invention to be affixed to a belt, the waistband of a pair of pants, the rim of a pocket, or another convenient location on the individual's person. In the preferred embodiment, the pill canister 1 and the lid 2 are cylindrical, but it is contemplated that alternate embodiments of the present invention may comprise alternate geometries of the pill canister 1 and the lid 2, such as, but not limited to, box-shaped or spherical. The pill canister 1 should be dimensioned appropriately for holding one or more pills of various sizes or shapes, and it should be noted that various embodiments may comprise various different dimensions for accommodating various different types of pills or medication tablets.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pill canister 1, the lid 2 and the spring clip 3 are all made of aluminum. However, the present invention may be made of a wide variety of alternate materials as desirable, such as, but not limited to plastic or another metal; the material of the present invention should be of adequate stiffness and strength to withstand everyday activities and general moderate handling without breaking or becoming significantly deformed. The specific material and manufacturing method are not of particular importance to the spirit and functionality of the present invention as long as the aforementioned strength and stiffness requirements are met.

The lid 2 is removably attached to the pill canister 1. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lid 2 is concentrically positioned with the pill canister 1 when the lid 2 is attached to the pill canister 1, and lid 2 is threadedly engaged with the pill canister 1 in order to attach and remove the lid 2 from the pill canister 1. The pill canister 1 and the lid 2 comprise complementary screw threads that facilitate threaded engagement. Alternate embodiments of the present invention may comprise alternate lid types, such as, but not limited to, a hinging lid or a sliding lid. Additionally, the lid 2 comprises a plurality of ridges 21 that are distributed around the circumference of the lid 2, as shown in FIG. 1. The plurality of ridges 21 provides the user with traction between the user's fingers and the lid 2, allowing the user to more easily grip the lid 2 in order to remove the lid 2 and access the pill stored in the pill canister 1.

The spring clip 3 is the component of the present invention that allows the present invention to be attached somewhere on an individual's person for carrying purposes. The spring clip 3 is connected to the pill canister 1 opposite the lid 2. Stated alternately, the spring clip 3 is connected to the pill canister 1 at the “bottom” of the pill canister 1, wherein the “top” of the pill canister 1 opposite the “bottom” of the pill canister 1 is the opening through which a pill is inserted into the pill canister 1 and adjacent to which the lid 2 is attached. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the spring clip 3 is generally U shaped, facilitating attachment to a belt, the rim of a pocket or another ridge-like clothing component. The spring clip 3 should be made of a bendable material that can be temporarily deformed in order to fit over and thereby grip onto an attachment location.

More particularly, the spring clip 3 comprises a canister attachment portion 31, a curved portion 32, a gripping portion 33 and a flange 32 as shown in FIG. 2. The canister attachment portion 31 is connected to the curved portion 32, the gripping portion 33 is connected to the curved portion 32 opposite the canister attachment portion 31, and the flange 32 is connected to the gripping portion 33 opposite the curved portion 32. In the preferred embodiment the component portions of the spring clip 3 follow a linear profile with constant thickness from the canister attachment portion 31 to the flange 32, though this is not a requirement. The curved portion 32 connects the canister attachment portion 31 and the gripping portion 33 to form the U shape of the spring clip 3. The gripping portion 33 is connected to the curved portion 32 at an angle that results in the end of the gripping portion 33 opposite the curved portion 32 being directly adjacent to the canister attachment portion 31, so that whatever the spring clip 3 is attached to is gripped between the canister attachment portion 31 and the gripping portion 33 for security. The flange 32 curves away from the canister attachment portion 31 and serves to provide a funneling action for facilitating attachment of the spring clip 3 to a belt or other clothing item. In alternate embodiments, alternate fasteners may conceivably be used for attachment of the present invention to a carrying location, such as, but not limited to, a screw and screw cap, a pin, a snap or another type of fastener.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A clip-on pill holder comprises: a pill canister; a lid; a spring clip; the lid being removably attached to the pill canister; and the spring clip being positioned adjacent to the pill canister opposite the lid.
 2. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the lid being positioned concentrically with the pill canister.
 3. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the lid being threadedly engaged with the pill canister.
 4. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the lid comprises a plurality of ridges; and the plurality of ridges being distributed around the circumference of the lid.
 5. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the spring clip being connected to the pill canister opposite the lid.
 6. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the spring clip being U-shaped.
 7. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the spring clip comprises a canister attachment portion, a curved portion, a gripping portion and a flange.
 8. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 7 comprises: the canister attachment portion being connected to the curved portion; the gripping portion being connected to the curved portion opposite the canister attachment portion; and the flange being connected to the gripping portion opposite the curved portion.
 9. A clip-on pill holder comprises: a pill canister; a lid; a spring clip; the lid being removably attached to the pill canister; the spring clip being connected adjacent to the pill canister opposite the lid; the lid being positioned concentrically with the pill canister; and the lid being threadedly engaged with the pill canister.
 10. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 9 comprises: the lid comprises a plurality of ridges; and the plurality of ridges being distributed around the circumference of the lid.
 11. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 9 comprises: the spring clip being U-shaped.
 12. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 9 comprises: the spring clip comprises a canister attachment portion, a curved portion, a gripping portion and a flange.
 13. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 12 comprises: the canister attachment portion being connected to the curved portion; the gripping portion being connected to the curved portion opposite the canister attachment portion; and the flange being connected to the gripping portion opposite the curved portion.
 14. A clip-on pill holder comprises: a pill canister; a lid; a spring clip; the lid being removably attached to the pill canister; the spring clip being positioned adjacent to the pill canister opposite the lid; the spring clip being U-shaped; and the spring clip comprises a canister attachment portion, a curved portion, a gripping portion and a flange.
 15. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 14 comprises: the lid being positioned concentrically with the pill canister.
 16. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 14 comprises: the lid being threadedly engaged with the pill canister.
 17. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 14 comprises: the lid comprises a plurality of ridges; and the plurality of ridges being distributed around the circumference of the lid.
 18. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 14 comprises: the spring clip being connected to the pill canister opposite the lid.
 19. The clip-on pill holder as claimed in claim 14 comprises: the canister attachment portion being connected to the curved portion; the gripping portion being connected to the curved portion opposite the canister attachment portion; and the flange being connected to the gripping portion opposite the curved portion. 